It Happened on A Friday
by iloveromance
Summary: When a night spent celebrating a milestone in her career proves too much for Alicia to handle, a phone call from Will proves to be just what she needs; in more ways than one. (Episode: "Hybristophilia")
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: This is a very big variation of a scene from the Season 1 episode "Hybristophilia". If Alicia seems OOC or very weird in this, it's intended! =) Thanks for reading and reviews are very much appreciated!**_

 __

It was a celebration of sorts. Finally, after all of this time, Alicia had been named Junior Partner, and what better way to celebrate than drinks with Kalinda? However, one drink had turned into another, and then another, and now the room was starting to sway. She felt Kalinda's hand on her arm, attempting to steady her. The thought made her laugh; Kalinda was just as drunk if not more so. But the effort was appreciated.

Her cell phone rang then, the tone blaring louder than it should have, and Alicia winced at the sound. Damn… Why had she had so many drinks? She'd lost count after six… at least she thought it was six. Could have been seven. Or eight.

She picked up the phone and glanced at the tiny screen, squinting at the swimming letters and numbers. She could barely make out what they said, but miraculously they came to a halt, long enough for her to read them;

 _W-I-L-L_

Damn…

"I-I need to get this." She said, surprised at how different her voice sounded. And the effort of trying to find the button on the phone proved to be difficult.

She felt Kalinda's hand on her arm. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"I-I don't know. But I've gotta… I've gotta take this."

"All right. Just… Be careful, okay?"

Alicia waved absently as she attempted to turn away from the bar. "K. Bye Kalinda!"

Oblivious to the stares she was receiving from people around her, she staggered foreword and somehow made it past a sea of people to a secluded corner and then pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

 _"Hi, it's me."_

Normally she would have been happy to hear his warm, familiar voice. But now the idea of talking to him was downright irritating and her answer reflected that.

"Yes, I know. Your name is on m-my phone. I _can_ read you know!"

There was a slight pause and then; _"Good. Listen, the reason I'm calling is…. Um, how are you doing?"_

"Good. Um, actually… well, nearly good. Celebrating."

 _"I'm glad. You deserve it. Congratulations."  
_

His kind words softened her mood and she felt even more relaxed than before. "H-how are you?"

 _"Dealing with layoffs."  
_

She winced. "Damn… Oh God, I'm so sorry."

 _"It's okay. It has to be done. Alicia, I-."_

"Yes?"

 _"I… um…"  
_

"Will, what is it? Just say it!"

" _I got a call from a client who needs help but I can't get away right now. And I was wondering if you-."  
_

Her head was pounding and she pressed her hand against the wall for support. "Oh… Um… Yeah. Of course. Which client?"

 _"Collin Sweeny."_

She froze, shuddering at the thought of that disturbing man. "I-I don't…"

"What?"

The restaurant began to sway and suddenly she felt queasy. When she took a few steps forward, she stumbled, barely regaining her balance. "Oh God…"

 _"Alicia, what's wrong? What is it? Are you all right?"_ His voice was frantic, full of concern. And she knew that she couldn't lie to him.

"N-no actually. I'm not okay. I'm-."

 _"What is it?"_

"I want to help. I-I have to. I'm Junior Partner now. You're my boss and it's my duty to help out, but-."

 _"But what?"_

Inexplicable tears began to stream down her cheeks and she sniffled. "I don't think I can do this by myself, Will!"

 _"Alicia what's wrong? Where are you?"_

She began to cry even more. "I-I don't… Can you come and get me? Please? I'm scared, Will! I'm really scared!"

 _"I'll be right there."_ He replied without hesitation. _"Where are you?"_

She looked around at the unfamiliar scenery. "I-I don't know. I can't remember. Um… Hang on." She took a few steps forward until she could just make out the bar.

"KALINDA!" She yelled, attracting the attention of nearly everyone in the restaurant. She kept walking, hearing Will's tinny voice coming out of the phone. But when she finally made it back to the bar, Kalinda's seat was occupied by someone else.

 _Oh God…_


	2. Chapter 2

"KALINDA, WHERE ARE YOU?" Alicia yelled again.

"She's not here." The bartender said, with no emotion whatsoever. Didn't he have any feelings at all? Panic began to fill her and her eyes widened. This couldn't be happening.

This wasn't real. "Wh-where is she?"

The bartender only shrugged. "Beats the hell out of me. She left with some guy."

"NO!" Alicia shouted. And then she heard a tinny voice calling her name. It sounded so familiar, so… real. She looked around for several seconds before she realized that the voice was coming from her cell phone. Confused, she pressed the phone to her ear. "Hello?"

 _"Alicia, are you all right?"  
_

"N-no. I- who is this?"

A soft chuckle could be heard on the other end. _"It's Will, remember?"  
_

"What's so funny?"

 _"Nothing. I-."_

"You're laughing at me. Why?"

" _I'm not, honey. I swear it. I just-."  
_

She lowered herself onto a bar stool and began to sob. "Kalinda's gone and I don't know where I am! Will, I'm scared!"

 _"Okay, honey. Don't cry. It's all right."_

But she cried harder. "Oh Will, I don't know what to do!"

 _"Alicia, look..._ _Let me talk to the bartender, okay?"_

"Okay. I have to go anyway. I think I'm gonna be… Oh God…" She handed the phone to the bartender who gave her a look of confusion. "M-my boss." She managed to say.

"Talk to him. I'm gonna be sick!"

The bartender had barely raised the phone to his ear when her stomach lurched and she rushed to the ladies room to empty the contents of what little she had eaten.

But instead of feeling better she felt worse. Worse than worse. She felt absolutely miserable.

And that made her cry even more.

Thank God for paper towels.

She stood at the sink, splashing water on her already tear-dampened cheeks and then cried relentlessly into a handful of paper towels. When she was all cried out (for the moment anyway), she splashed her face with water and then without bothering to dry her face again, walked slowly and carefully back into the restaurant. She scanned the place but saw no sign of anyone she knew. Even the bartender had disappeared from sight.

She was alone; completely and utterly alone. She sank to her knees, sobbing. "Oh Will, where are you? I need you!"


	3. Chapter 3

"You okay, Ma'am?"

She looked up to the sight of a man towering over her offering her his hand. Wearily she took it, feeling weightless as he helped her to her feet. "Thanks."

"Be careful, okay? Those kiwi daiquiris will kill you!"

"But I didn't have any-."

But he was gone.

And then she began her long trek back to the bar. She winced immediately as the pulsating beat seemed to pound into her head. Was it her imagination or had the volume of the overhead music increased since she'd left the bar for the ladies' room?

Feeling brave, she turned and walked back, feeling proud of herself not only for remembering the way but also for not stumbling. And when she finally spotted the bartender, she was overcome with relief. She had made it. She'd really made it. As though rewarding herself, she sat down on one of the barstools, holding tight to the counter.

He nodded in greeting. "You're back."

"Wh-where's Ka-Kalinda?" She slurred.

The bartender's smile faded, replaced by something that could be construed as annoyance. "I told you, she ain't here. She left with some guy. But your boyfriend told me to tell you he'll be here as fast as he can."

She blinked in confusion. "M-my what?"

"Your boyfriend. Yeah, he wanted to know what the name of this place was. Even asked for directions. Directions! Can you believe that? Who does that anymore?"

"D-does what?"

"Ask for directions! I thought cell phones had GPS these days!"

She lifted her head; completely confused as to how she'd gotten to the barstool she was now sitting on. Maybe she'd fallen asleep and someone had graciously picked her up and carried her. But that was ridiculous.

"Oh my God, I don't know what's wrong with me." She cried, covering her face with her hands.

"You're drunk, that's what wrong." The bartender snapped. "I swear I've never seen a woman drink that much before."

"W-what?"

"But don't worry. Your boyfriend will be here soon."

"H-he's not my-."

The door opened and she gasped in surprise, her heart fluttering in anticipation. But when she was able to focus, her fluttering heart sank. It wasn't him.

He wasn't coming. Oh God…

Feeling overwhelmed, she began to cry again; sobbing into her hands. She should have known this would happen. She should have known that he didn't love her.

And then she felt a small, warm weight on her back.

"Alicia?"

She whirled around to find that she was staring into his beautiful eyes, his handsome face. And her heart went crazy. "Will..."

"Yeah, it's me. Are you all right?"

Those words were all it took for her to burst into tears.


	4. Chapter 4

Immediately he took her into his arms and held her close; the musky scent of his cologne filling her senses. "Hey, come on, don't cry." He said softly as he rubbed her back. "I'm here. Everything's okay."

She clung to him tighter, as though he would vanish if she were to let go and cried into his suede jacket that was unbuttoned to reveal his denim shirt. "I love you, Will. I love you so much!"

She could feel his breath catch in his throat at her words. "Thank you, Alicia. I-I care about you too."

She started to sway, and when she felt herself losing her balance, he was right there, holding her, keeping her steady. "I don't… I don't feel so good." She mumbled into his shoulder. "M-my head hurts… and my stomach…"

"All right. Come on. I'll take you home."

"NO! I can't go home!" She yelled. "Zach and Grace…. They'll hate me!"

"Alicia, no…"

"But they already do hate me! I-I'm a terrible mother, Will!"

"No, you're a great mom."

She drew back in disbelief. "But you've never even met them, so how can you know?"

"I just do. Now come on. Let's get you somewhere safe. We'll get your car later. I think it will be okay here."

He grabbed her coat and slipped it around her shoulders. She watched in a daze as he opened his wallet and handed the bartender some money. "For her tab; and for the woman who was with her." He explained to the bartender. "Thanks for taking such good care of her. They were celebrating. Are you sure the other woman left safely?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. The guy looked okay. Seemed friendly enough. I try to keep an eye out on what goes on around here. I have to. Liability, you know."

Will laughed. "I certainly do. Well, don't spend all of that in one place, Okay?"

The bartender smiled, counting the stack of bills that Will had just handed him. "Believe me, I won't." Alicia was dumbfounded. She didn't even know the bartender was capable of smiling. But she didn't have time to ponder the idea before she found herself leading against Will. His arm was around her and together they walked out of Bar 57. As they made their way to the sidewalk, she had no idea where they were going, but at that moment she really didn't care.


	5. Chapter 5

The car came to a rolling stop and she felt his hand in her hair.

"You all right?"

Slowly she lifted her head, surprised at how much effort it took. "I don't…. where are we?"

"Almost home."

"But -."

"Don't worry. It'll be okay. Just a few more minutes."

Amazingly he was right. Before she knew it he was standing outside of the car, the passenger door open, gently shaking her awake. "Alicia… Hey, come on. We're here."

She felt weak as he helped her out of the car, making certain to keep his arm around her. Together they slowly made their way into the building, up the elevator and into his apartment.

"Just make yourself at home."

"Okay, thanks. Where's your bathroom?"

"Over there."

"Thanks. I-Oh God…" Her hand flew to her mouth and she ran into the bathroom, barely making it in time. But as it were she didn't need to hurry at all. There was absolutely nothing left in her stomach. Nothing at all.

So why did she feel so horrible?

She splashed water on her face once more and then opened the door, embarrassed to find him standing in front of her. He looked so handsome in his denim shirt and jeans that hugged his slim frame. If she hadn't felt like death warmed over, she wouldn't have been able to resist him. She squinted at the sight of the bottle in his hand.

"Pepto Bismol." He explained as though reading her mind. "For your stomach."

She groaned and clutched her abdomen. "I feel horrible."

"I know." He shook the bottle and then opened the cap, pouring the pink liquid into the small cup. "Drink this. You'll feel better soon."

She took the cup from him and drank it down, cringing at the taste. It had been a long time since she'd felt queasy enough for the familiar medicine.

"I know it's horrible, but it works. Takes a while though."

She smiled weakly. "Thanks. I don't deserve all of this attention, though."

He grinned and took her hand guiding her to the large L-shaped sofa that sat in the middle of the living room. "Well… that might be true, but that doesn't mean I have to go by the rules. This isn't a courtroom. Sit there."

Oblivious to the fact that he was ordering her around, she did as he asked, feeling her stomach slosh back and for the in the process. And the room seemed to move back and forth as well. "I feel horrible."

She could feel the weight of the sofa cushion shift as he sat down beside her. "I know."

She shivered as the way he was running his fingers through her hair, smiling, even when his face was swimming before her eyes. He was so handsome. Why had she ever let him go?

"Will…" She groaned, suddenly comforted by the soft throw he'd placed across her shoulders.

"Just rest." He said quietly. "You'll feel better soon."

"I'm a horrible lawyer."

"No."

"But I _am_ , Will!"

"Alicia, don't start this again! You're not a horrible anything! You just… had too much to drink."

She shook her head and started to cry. "I know, and that's _why_! You called and needed my help and I-."

He pulled her close, rubbing her shoulder. ""Come on, it's all right. I took care of it."

"But you're my _boss_ and I'm supposed to _obey_ you!"

He chuckled, for reasons she didn't understand. "What's so funny?"

"Well, I wouldn't say _obey_ , but-."

"You should fire me."

"What?"

"I'm _horrible,_ disobeying you like that! You should just… throw me out on the streets! I don't deserve to be Partner anyway!"

" _Junior_ Partner." He corrected. "And you're not going anywhere. Not until you're well enough."

"I'm drunk, not sick."

He grinned at her description. "I know. But I prefer sick. It sounds nicer."

"H-how?"

His eyebrows rose. "How what?"

"H-how did you take care of it?"

"Take care of-Oh, right. Cary said he'd go talk to Sweeney."

"He probably hates me."

"No he doesn't."

"He was probably on a date or something and I ruined his evening."

Again he laughed. "Actually he seemed pretty eager to do it."

She eyed him seriously. "But you hate me. I know you do."

"No. And why would you say that anyway?"

"Because… you called me and wanted me to do something for you and I was… I am… drunk."

"You were celebrating. I get it."

Her eyes felt heavy and she snuggled against him. "I'm tired."

"Okay."

"I love you, Will."

She wasn't sure if it was her imagination but she could feel his breathing change. And then his lips were on her forehead. "I-um… I love you too. Now get some sleep."

She closed her eyes and drifted away…. Far away.


	6. Chapter 6

She felt as though she was floating.

Her head was on his chest; his arms were curled around her. She could feel the soft beat of his heart as she tried to relax. "I love you, Will." She said, feeling the need to tell him. Perhaps he wasn't aware. Or had forgotten.

"I know." He replied, surprising her. "I love you too."

"We shouldn't…"

"What?"

"You're my boss. We _can't_! People… they'll talk."

"I know. They always do, but to hell with what everyone else says."

"So… you _do_ love me?

She felt his fingers lace through hers and his lips on her cheek. She wanted to know his answer but she was tired… Oh so tired. And so she closed her already heavy eyes once more and remained as she was; her head on his chest.

"Yes." She heard a voice say in her dreams. "I _do_ love you, Alicia. I do. I've … probably loved you since Georgetown."

"Really?"

"Yes." Are you feeling better?"

It was then that she realized that her stomach was no longer queasy. Or perhaps it was her imagination. Whatever it was, she was grateful for it.

"I am… Thank you, Will."

"It was my pleasure. Goodnight, Alicia."

And then she drifted back into slumber.

Never before had it hurt to open her eyes; physically hurt. But it was her head that throbbed the most and she felt as though she'd been hit by a truck. The pain was excruciating. She groaned and lifted her head, looking around, trying desperately to make sense of her surroundings. And then she saw him….

 _Oh God…_

Slowly her eyes began to focus and she recognized the place immediately. Will's place. His apartment. The place where they'd spent countless hours in each other's arms, most often in his bed. And then panic set in. Had she really….

How had she gotten here? What had she been thinking? Had she come here on her own? Had he dragged her here? Did they have an argument? Did they make love?  
She could remember nothing. Nothing at all.

But something else was bothering her, even more than the fact that she couldn't remember a thing. She looked at him, her heart fluttering at the sight. Even deep in sleep he was so handsome. She should leave him alone, but she had to know what had happened. Because if something did happen, they needed to talk about it.

She reached for his shoulder and shook him softly. "Will? Will, wake up."

He bolted upright, startling her as he looked around the room in confusion. "What? What is it? Are you okay?"

"Um, yeah... I think. No. Actually, I'm not."

"What happened?"

"I-I don't know... I don't even know how I got here."

"Oh... Right. About that."

"What?"

He sighed deeply and ran his hand through his hair. "Alicia-."

"Will, just tell me. What happened? Please... I need to know. Even if... it's something that will ruin our friendship, I need to know, Okay?"

"You're right. You do need to know."

"Just tell me one thing, first."

"Of course."

"Did we... sleep together? Because if we did..."

"No. We didn't."

She let out a breath that she had no idea she was holding. "Oh... Well, thanks for that anyway."

"Alicia..."

She nodded, trying to hold in the inexplicable feelings that were swirling inside of her. "Good... I'm glad for that anyway. Because we're not..."

"You're right..."

"Good... Good, I'm glad. Oh... I don't feel so well. Will you excuse me?"

She rose from the sofa, feeling his hand on her arm, steadying her as the room swayed back and forth.

"Do you need some help?"

"No, I'm okay. I"m just going to-I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Well, here. Let me at least make sure you get there safely."

"But Will, I'm not..."

"Please? It's the least I can do, all right? Just come with me."

Reluctantly she let him guide her to the bathroom. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I... Oh God... Do you have any aspirin? And Pepto Bismol?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, just a minute. They're in here." He moved past her, sending the scent of his cologne wafting around her as he entered the bathroom. He opened the medicine cabinet removing a bottle of the familiar pink liquid and a bottle of aspirin. "Here. If you need anything else just let me know, okay?"

"Will?"

He turned in the doorway and looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

He grinned. "No problem. And about... last night. We didn't sleep together. I swear. I just... Well, I wanted you to know that. I'll tell you what happened in a little while when you're feeling better okay? I promise."

"Okay. And I'm glad that we didn't... make love."

"Yeah. I do. And so am I."

His words stung. Because they hurt. Making love to him was one of the greatest pleasures she'd ever known. She'd just told him the biggest lie imaginable.

God, she wanted him back.


	7. Chapter 7

She stared at herself in the mirror, cringing at the sight. God, she looked horrible. And she had no idea what had happened last night or how she'd ended up in Will's arms, much less his apartment.

But worst of all was the guilt. Why couldn't she get over him? Why did she want him so badly? And why did she keep lying to herself?

She wasn't happy that she and Will hadn't made love last night. But she couldn't bring herself to be honest with him. She couldn't understand why. What had changed? Sudeenly panic went through her.

"Will!"

He was at the door in an instant, opening it just a crack. In the small space, she could see his handsome features. His soft hair so inviting that she almost reached out to touch it.

"What's wrong?" he was asking. "Do you need more Pepto? I can run to the store and-."

"No." She said more abruptly than she intended. "I-I mean… I don't understand."

He nodded. "Right. Of course you don't."

Now she was offended. "What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Her words surprised him. "Nothing. I just-."

And suddenly the dam broke.

"Alicia-."

He opened the door wider and went to her, his arms wrapped around her body. "What is it?"

She clung to him, trying to forget how badly she needed to feel him against her. "I'm sorry." She whispered against his shirt.

His hand moved up and down her back. "For what?"

She cried a little more and then drew back, unable to smile, even as he gently brushed way her tears with his thumbs. "I miss us."

His eyebrows rose. "What?"

"I miss us." She repeated.

"What are you talking about?"

"Making love to you, kissing you..."

"Alicia-."

"I want us to be what we once wore. To hell with Peter. And Zach and Grace… They'll understand in time. I love you, Will."

"I love you too, Alicia. And I mean that. I've loved you since Georgetown. I know that may sound crazy, but-."

Her lips were on his, kissing him deeper and more passionately than she intended. But his eager response told her that he didn't mind at all. Their lips and arms entwined, they walked slowly backwards, making their way to his bedroom.

He wasted no time coaxing her onto the bed and covered her body with his. And she loved the familiarity of it. Their kisses continued, warm, passionate and demanding. And she was seconds away from undressing him when he pulled back unexpectedly.

"What? What's wrong?"

He worked to catch his breath. "Nothing. I… this… I can't."

She sat up, staring at him in disbelief. "Why not? I thought you said that you loved me!"

"I do, but-."

"But what?" She demanded. "Damn it, Will, tell me!"

"We can't… Not like this…"

"What do you mean?"

"I need to tell you what happened last night, okay? It's the only way I'll be able to live with myself." He rolled over and stared at her, his head propped on his elbow as he ran his fingers through her hair. "You understand, don't you?"

A tear slid down her cheek. "No…"

He sighed deeply. "All right. Here's what happened. You called me last night, okay? And then…"

"Hmm…" she said in response.

She felt so warm lying next to him, like nothing could ever hurt her. She loved him, so much. Too much. He was talking now. She could hear him going on and on. But she had no idea what he was saying. It was as though he was presenting a case to a jury. However, his voice wasn't forceful or demanding. It was soft and gentle, as though he was telling a bedtime story. And then she felt his lips, warm and soft on her forehead.

She snuggled closer to him, content to listen to his soft breathing and the beating of his heart. He'd stopped talking and when she opened her eyes, just for a moment, she noticed that he'd fallen asleep. Just as she had while he was telling his story.

She'd forgotten how wonderful just sleeping together would be. And perhaps that's what she'd missed most of all.

THE END 


End file.
